Aaron Johnson named chaplain for St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office; Will attend to employees in personal crisis and help the public connect with programs for personal problems such as addictions

Aaron Johnson was among the volunteers who came to St. Bernard Parish to gut the battered homes of residents and otherwise help them after the flood of Hurricane Katrina.

Ten years later, he is still here and is buying a home in Chalmette and has a wife and two daughters. He also was a volunteer, unpaid Reserve Division deputy with the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office for four years, helping supplement manpower for the department.

Now, Johnson, 34, has been named chaplain for the Sheriff’s Office, working in the Community Relations Division, Sheriff James Pohlmann announced.

“I believe there is a role he can fill to help people of this parish,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said of Johnson, who is a member of the International Conference of Police Chaplains.

Typical chaplain duties include being available to minister to deputies and other department employees who are in personal crisis. Johnson will also interact with members of the public affected by misfortune, including helping them connect with programs needed for personal and family problems such as addictions, the sheriff said.

Johnson can be reached at (504) 278-7659 or online at ajohnson@sbso.org.

“I hope to be an asset to our department as I help our deputies and other employees and also as we interact with the public,’’ said Johnson.

“I want to serve in moments of crisis to help get people through that period,’’ he said. It could involve counseling a Sheriff’s Office employee or counseling the public when someone’s family members have been injured in a bad accident.

In cases of individuals or their family members needing help with addictions or other personal problems, Johnson said, “There are appropriate agencies we can help people connect with.”